Task



Today, the U. S. imports more than half of its oil, and overall consumption continues to increase. By supporting ethanol production and use, U.S. drivers can help reverse that trend. 85% ethanol can reduce pollution. Government tests have shown that E85 vehicles reduce harmful hydrocarbon and benzene emissions when compared to vehicles running on gasoline. E85 can also reduce carbon dioxide (CO2), a harmful greenhouse gas and a major contributor to global warming. U.S. ethanol production climbed to almost 5 billion gallons in 2006, up nearly 1 billion gallons from 2005. Despite the speed and magnitude of this increase, the industry is stepping up the pace of expansion, with production expected to top 10 billion gallons by 2009. The rapid expansion in ethanol production will have far-reaching effects throughout the agricultural sector. The [|corn market] is being affected directly by the increase in ethanol production. As the ethanol industry absorbs a larger share of the corn crop, higher prices will affect domestic use and exports, providing for more intense demand competition between domestic industries and foreign buyers of feed grains. The classroom will be divided up into 2 groups. Group one (Corn) will explore the pros of e85 production, and the benefits it will have on the American farmer, and the U.S. consumer. Group two (oil) will explore the cons of e85 production and it’s effects on the American farmer, and U.S. consumer. At a minimum you will need to look into the following points to ensure that you can make a well formed argument in favor of your teams’ opinion. Do not limit your scope to just these three points. This is a very big subject, and there can be many different contributing factors to your argument. · Environmental Impact · Return on Investment · Sustainability After the teams have built their knowledge to an adequate depth to fully defend their point of view, the two teams will engage in a structured debate. The goal of the debate will be to come to a consensus as a class to whether or not e85 production is in the best interests of the American Farmer. Resources: The following links will provide you with a starting point. You are not limited to just these links, but are required to keep track of all websites that are used in building your case. http://www.ethanolrfa.org/resource/made/ [|http://www.sciencedaily.com] http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jul04/corn0704.htm http://www.e85fuel.com/ http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/September07/Features/Ethanol.htm
 * The Background:**
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